By Mokobia Rita.
ASABA/Nigeria: A member of the House of Representatives representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. (Revd.) Francis Ejiroghene Waive, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent caution against the construction of unnecessary flyovers by state governments should not be interpreted as a reference to Delta State’s ongoing road infrastructure projects.
Waive, in a statement issued on Friday, said public interpretations suggesting that the President’s remarks were directed at Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration were misplaced, maintaining that the flyovers being constructed in Delta were conceived to address specific transportation and traffic management needs.
According to the federal lawmaker, the projects were sited in locations that had for years experienced heavy traffic congestion, adding that they were designed to improve vehicular movement, ease commuting and support economic activities in the affected areas.
“The flyovers constructed and those currently under construction by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori are absolutely necessary. Deltans can testify that they are all located in areas where severe traffic gridlock is a regular occurrence,” Waive stated.
He argued that the infrastructure projects were based on practical considerations rather than political symbolism, saying residents of the affected communities could attest to the traffic challenges that existed before construction commenced.
Waive further said the Delta State Government had continued to combine road infrastructure development with investments in other sectors, including healthcare, education, social welfare and human capital development.
According to him, the implementation of the administration’s M.O.R.E. Agenda reflects an effort to pursue balanced development by addressing infrastructure deficits while also supporting programmes aimed at improving the welfare of residents.
The lawmaker also claimed that the Federal Government had, on different occasions, acknowledged Delta State’s progress in road infrastructure and urban development, adding that the state’s investments in roads, bridges and flyovers had continued to attract positive attention.
Responding to criticisms of the flyover projects, Waive alleged that some of the comments were politically motivated and did not reflect the realities of transportation needs in the affected areas.
He maintained that assessments of the projects should be based on their impact on traffic flow, commerce and public convenience rather than partisan considerations.
The federal lawmaker also called for continued collaboration between the Federal Government and state governments in delivering infrastructure capable of supporting economic growth, noting that development initiatives should complement the objectives of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Waive encouraged the Delta State Government to sustain investments in strategic road and bridge projects while expanding social intervention programmes aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable residents.
